1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a directory holder for use in combination with a shopping cart.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, large shopping centers and food markets typically have thousands of items of products stacked on shelves and arranged in aisles. These thousands of products are typically grouped together where they are essentially the same product but differ in brand or manufacturer. As is often the case, the department store or food store can assist the shopper by indicating in which aisles particular items may be found. For example, a shopping directory may be hung from a ceiling or placed in a stand at either end of an aisle. There are several problems associated with directories which must be hung from the ceiling over a particular area of the store or above a certain aisle. For example, in a very large store it is often difficult to see what is in a particular aisle or in a particular section of the store when one is located at the opposite end of the store. Also, because the printing on such directories must be large enough to be readable from a distance, fewer items can be listed on such a directory. Finally, if the store relocates a certain product, the directory will have to be changed or replaced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,077 is directed to a directory holder which is mounted directly on a shopping cart. The directory holder of this reference allows directory and advertising placards or cards to be carried directly on the shopping cart for easy reference by a shopper. Moreover, the directory holder is designed so that the store owner can easily change the placard to substitute a revised directory or a new advertisement. In particular, the directory holder has a plurality of slots positioned to receive mating tabs of the placard. A raised periphery of the holder frame centers the placard and protects its edges. The placard is readily removed by flexing the placard sufficiently to withdraw the tabs from the frame slots.
However, for some applications, it may be desirable to hold the placard more securely without sacrificing the ability to easily change the placard. In addition, it may be desirable to more uniformly secure the periphery of the placard for a more uniform appearance.